Harley-Davidson dealers are offering 2014-15 Street 750 customers the option to upgrade to the 2016 edition brakes at a premium and are suggesting to sell the old model and purchase the new one instead.
MotorBeam was one of the first publications to point out the under equipped braking performance on the Harley-Davidson Street 750 and over time other global publications as well as owners attested to our claim. The American automaker’s entry-level offering used brakes originally sourced from Endurance on the Indian and international models. After several reports of the brakes failing partially or completely to provide adequate stopping power, the automaker introspected the issue and upgraded the same on the MY2016 edition with Brembo units.
However, the first owners of are still living with the same shoddy brakes and Harley has done little for them. Our reader and Street 750 owner Chirash Rupeia recently brought to MotorBeam’s attention that dealers are now offering the option for 2014-15 customers to upgrade the cruiser to new set of brakes. Contrary to expectations, the new brakes need to be purchased and are not being provided free of cost. Owners argue that since Harley acknowledges the faulty braking performance, a recall is in order.
Certain dealers are also suggesting customers to sell their current Street 750 and opt for the 2016 edition instead. Now, the thumb rule in car/motorcycle resale suggests that the owner loses around 15 percent of the vehicle’s value after the first year of ownership. In case of the Harley Street 750, the basic depreciation calculation leaves the owner with a resale value of around Rs. 4-4.5 lakhs, based on your location and the bike’s condition. At the end of the day, the owner ends up taking a hit of around Rs. 1,00,000/- over the retail price.
In comparison, upgrading brakes will cost around Rs. 60-70,000/- as per dealerships and is a complete overhaul, but they also convey that the feel won’t be the same as an all-new one. Nevertheless, given the monetary savings the upgrade does not seem such a bad idea. More so, once you factor in that the owner needs to pump in a bit more to get the 2016 edition that has seen a price increase. That said, the 2016 Street 750 not only gets better brakes, but also concealed wires, wider rear view mirrors, rubber added over the clutch lever and a minutely revised instrument console.
